This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses for conveying materials, such as strip components on a belt conveyor, and more specifically to methods and apparatuses for conveying tire building components from a feeding extruder or other production location to a tire building drum on a belt conveyor which is capable of laterally adjusting the position of the components without using guides.
In the past, guides on conveyor belts such as pivoting steering rollers required strip component wrap-around to create traction for centering the component product which was often detrimental to the component. Also, self-feeding of many components through any type of rollers was unreliable.
International Application WO 98/04488 is directed to steering and guiding a strip component after conveying the strip component to an exit end with a plurality of guide disks canted at an angle to the shaft axis and by transverse movement of the disks.
Other methods included shifting the entire conveyor laterally to center the product. However, this required more elaborate machinery and a large entry loop in the case of strip or web products. Large loops may cause product stretch and make self-feeding difficult.
Another guiding method utilized curved modular belt conveyors however, the curves were static and did not act as active guides. Further, the belting typically used was more than twice the pitch length of that utilized by the present invention. Long pitch lengths introduce excessive speed undulation to the product due to chordal action at the sprockets.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved flexible guide belt conveyors which is simple in design, effective in use, and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.
In accordance with the present invention, a new and improved flexible guide belt conveyor is provided which allows for active guiding of a fragile strip component on a feeder conveyor without using guides in contact with the material of the strip component.
More particularly, in accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is provided a method of conveying an elongated strip component and centering the strip component comprising the step of conveying the component on a first belt of a first belt conveyor having an entrance end and an exit end, method being characterized by the steps of:
(a) determining a location of a guideline of the elongated strip component at the exit end of the at first belt conveyor using a sensor;
(b) transmitting the location of the guideline to a motion controller; and,
(c) activating a linear actuator to laterally move a belt supporting transverse housing located at the exit end to adjust the exit end of the first belt to align the elongated strip component with a predetermined guideline at the exit end and guiding the first belt by edge guides mounted on the transverse housing while supporting the first belt on a slide plate mounted on the transverse housing.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of applying tire components to a tire building drum including the step of transferring the tire components on at least one belt conveyor having an entrance end and an exit end, the method characterized by the steps of determining a location of the guideline of the tread member at the exit end of the at least one belt conveyor by means of a sensor, activating a linear actuator to laterally move the transverse housing located at the exit end to adjust the exit end of at least one belt conveyor to align the tread member with a guideline of a tire building drum.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a belt conveyor having an entrance end and an exit end, with apparatus for adjusting the exit end of a belt conveyor including a laterally adjustable belt characterized by:
(a) the belt conveyor having a fixed support at the entrance end, a laterally movable belt supporting transverse housing at the exit end, drive means mounted on the transverse housing, at least two edge guides mounted on the transverse housing for guiding the belt transversely at the exit end, and a slide plate mounted on the housing to support and permit lateral movement of the belt at the exit end.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for adjusting exit ends of a plurality of belt conveyors, each of the belt conveyors comprising a plurality of spaced apart modules supported by hinge pins thereby providing lateral flexibility characterized by each of the belt conveyors having a fixed frame at an entry end and a laterally moveable transverse housing at one of the exit ends, and the fixed frame and the transverse housing having slide plates to support and permit lateral adjustment of the belt conveyors.
In accordance with a still aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of adjusting an exit end of a belt conveyor conveying a strip component characterized by the steps of sensing a position of a guideline of the strip component with sensing means, and activating a linear actuator to move a transverse housing of the conveyor, thereby moving a belt on the conveyor and the strip component until the guideline of the strip component is centered with respect to a predetermined position.
One advantage of the present invention is its ability to laterally adjust the position of a component transported on a conveyor belt without contacting the edges of the component.
Another advantages of the present invention is its ability to synchronize the movement of strip components on at least two conveyor belts.
Another advantage of the present invention is its ability to adjust the positions of the guidelines of multiple components on multiple conveyor belts.
Still other benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.